iPrice Group’s research has revealed that Malaysians are starting to have a significant interest in more personal protective equipment (PPE) indoor and outdoor as they are starting more aware of Covid-19 preventive steps.
The data that was obtained from Google Trends on June 9-10, 2021 reflects that people are more likely to search both indoor and outdoor PPE as compared to last year.
Overall, the country’s Google searches on outdoor PPE (surgical mask, face shield, cloth mask, KN95, N95 and gloves) and indoor PPE (Panadol, thermometer, birth control pills and condoms) grew by 223 percent and 320 percent respectively in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period of 2020.
The most Google searches were for KN95. Surgical masks, on the other hand, are still relevant, according to iPrice.
These items are now widely available in pharmacies, convenience stores, and supermarkets. However, as cases rise and new strains emerge, more individuals are opting for improved masks like KN95. Since 2021, searches for these things have been steadily increasing.
Surprisingly, birth control tablets saw the greatest rise in search volume (563 percent) when compared to the same period previous year. It is worth noting Google Trends searches don’t always imply purchases.
Face shields and cotton masks have seen significant growth, with increases of 1730 percent and 677 percent, respectively, over the previous year. People began wearing face shields as an added layer of protection voluntarily, even in the absence of government policy, as witnessed in the Philippines.
Although a face shield is not a substitute for medical masks, it still acts as an additional layer of protection. The searches on this item increased again when Malaysia reached the highest daily confirmed cases on 29th May 2021.
Interestingly, a day after the Kelana Jaya line train collision press conference on May 25, 2021, the search for face protection surged by 50 percent.
This could be ascribed to the appearance of Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, the former chairman of Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, who only wore a clear face shield during his address.
Meanwhile, searches for cloth masks increased significantly after the Director-General of Health, Noor Hisham Abdullah, urged the public to wear two masks for double the protection. At the very least, Google searches show that Malaysians are beginning to hunt for more information about the use of double masks.
Lastly, in early May, thermometer and Panadol both saw significant increases, particularly a day before the first round of AstraZeneca vaccines on May 6, 2021. The number of searches for these two terms increased by 200 percent and 29 percent, respectively, illustrating how concerned Malaysians are about the fever and adverse effects of the vaccinations.
